Odysseyware

Odysseyware provides course
materials and a learning
management system to deliver
courses to students in grades 3-12.
Instructors can select courses to
supplement the regular classroom,
or for credit recovery or advancement. For many
courses, instructors can choose which parts of the
course materials to include and add customized
assignments. They also offer Common Core
Assessment and remediation modules for grades
K-8 in math and English Language Arts.

Quality and Effectiveness: Odysseyware offers over 160 courses at
various grade levels in multiple subject areas. Courses include core
subjects such as math, science, history, and English Language Arts as
well as CTE courses, electives, Common Core Assessment Readiness,
Advanced Placement, and GED prep. Odysseyware translates
materials into nine languages and offers text-to-speech software right
in the course interface. Course materials are updated frequently and
updates are immediately pushed
to the user as it is a Web-based
interface. The pre-built, well-designed
curriculum makes this
product a perfect solution for
schools and individual teachers.

Ease of Use: The software is relatively self-explanatory and anyone
with prior experience with technology should have no problems
navigating. For users who are less tech savvy, support materials are
abundant and clear. Because the software is Web-based, there are no
servers or maintenance issues to worry about on the user end. You
do, however, need to ensure that the latest version of Adobe Flash is
installed on any machines using Odysseyware.

Creative Use of Technology: Odysseyware offers
curriculum maps for its courses that tie directly to the
CCSS, so teachers will know which standards are being
met with the curriculum assigned. Some courses appear to
be very text-dependent and may be intimidating for some
students. Games and simulations at the lower level are
appropriate to reinforce the text from the lessons. Most
assessments are self-graded and tracked by the program.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment:
Odysseyware can easily be incorporated into existing
curriculum as a supplement for re-teaching or as an
enhancement for more advanced students. With the
variety of courses available, schools can offer electives that
were previously unavailable to students, and teachers can
incorporate new materials into their classrooms. With very
basic training for teachers and students, Odysseyware can
be up and running in a school in a few short days.

TOP FEATURES

• Flexibility: With the option of using all or part of each course,
teachers are able to build courses that meet the needs of their
classrooms and their students.
• Differentiation: The translation and text-to-speech features of
Odysseyware make differentiation and learning style preferences
easy to accommodate.
• Alignment: The CCSS curriculum maps make it easy for teachers
to use Odysseyware to supplement their course materials in areas
for which their students may need support or enrichment.

OVERALL RATING:
Odysseyware may well
be the answer many districts
are looking for as they seek to
incorporate blended and online
learning into the curriculum. With
flexibility in use for re-teaching or
enrichment, Odysseyware offers
solutions for many schools that
struggle to meet the needs of
their students.